New Reality
by weirdgirl42
Summary: A scary turn of events leads to a surprising revelation. I know it's been done but give it a try. Takes place sometime in season 10.
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own NCIS._

**New Reality**

Tony leaned his head back against the wall. His heart was racing and tears were threatening to fall, completely ruining his assertion that DiNozzo men didn't cry. The sounds of the emergency room washed over him, gurneys and heart monitors and people talking. He closed his eyes and focused on trying to control his breathing. Collapsing in the ER waiting room wasn't going to do anyone any good.

It had been a routine follow-up with a witness. Sergeant Kyle Clark had been a part of a training mission that had gone wrong and resulted in the death of a fellow marine. Clark had told NCIS that he had though he'd smelled alcohol on the breath of Captain John Hanson who had been in charge of tactics on the mission. McGee and Ziva had been sent to Clark's house to get a few more details.

Tony had been in the lab with Abby when the call came in. McGee's voice came in panicky bursts. All Tony remembered hearing was "Hanson…Ziva shot…Bethesda." Without a word, Tony had run out of the lab, heading full speed towards the garage. Somewhere along the way, Gibbs had caught up with him and the older man drove them both to the hospital.

Now, Tony stood in the waiting room trying not to go crazy from a combination of adrenaline and fear. At the very edge of his perception he could hear Gibbs and McGee talking. After a moment, he sensed Gibbs' presence beside him.

"Boss?" Tony said, eyes still closed.

"Single gunshot to the abdomen. Doctor thinks it lacerated the liver, maybe even perforated."

"She in surgery?"

"For at least four more hours."

"Prognosis?"

Gibbs sighed. "Too soon to tell."

"Is there paperwork I need to…"

Before Tony could finish the sentence there was a sudden flutter of activity. He opened his eyes and saw Abby and Ducky rush into the room. While Gibbs moved to update the two unofficial members of the team, Tony moved to McGee's side.

"What happened?"

McGee took a shaky breath. "We knocked on the door and the shot just came through the open window. Hanson was waiting for us. He said there was no way he was going down for this. We didn't even have time to draw our weapons. He just shot her."

"Clark?"

"I don't know," McGee said. "I just got Ziva into the car and drove here. I didn't even think about Clark. I just…I just needed to get her here."

Tony put a hand on McGee's shoulder. "You did the right thing Tim," he said. "Thank you for getting her here."

If McGee was surprised by Tony's words he didn't show it. Looking down he realized he was covered in blood. "I need to find some clothes," he said before walking over to the nurses' station to ask about getting a pair of scrubs.

Tony watched the younger man walk away. Gibbs came over. "Ducky and Abby are gonna stay," he told the younger agent. "We need to find Clark and Hanson."

"Take McGee," Tony said. "I'm sure there's something I need to do…"

"Hey," Gibbs said firmly, "she'll be in surgery for hours. We still have a job to do."

"Right now my job is to stay here Boss," Tony replied, looking towards the doors that led to the operating rooms.

"DiNozzo," said Gibbs, the stress and anger in his voice rising, "did I ask if you wanted to come with me?"

"No you didn't," Tony replied. "But I'm still staying here. The doctors might need to make decisions about what to do in there. I need to be here."

"I think Ducky is more than capable of making those decisions and I still don't know why we're even having this conversation. Get it together and get moving."

When Gibbs' hand moved to slap him, Tony blocked it and shoved his boss into the wall. "No!"

It was almost as though time had stopped. None of the team could believe what had just happened. McGee had just reentered the room and stood with his mouth hanging open. Abby's hand covered her own shocked expression and Ducky was staring at the two men, brow furrowed.

Tony knew he had crossed a line, but in that moment he didn't care. He turned back towards the OR doors and ran his hand through his hair. "You don't understand," he said quietly.

"You're damn right I don't," Gibbs replied. He began to move towards Tony but was blocked when Ducky stepped between them.

"Wait Jethro," Ducky said quietly. Then he walked over to Tony and placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Anthony," he said, "why do you need to be here to make decisions?"

A single sob shook Tony's shoulders but he quickly swallowed it back and wiped at his eyes. "Because…" he cleared his throat, "because she's my wife."

_tbc_

_I think I may have made Gibbs a little too mean, just try to remember that he's stressed out. Please review. It will make me update faster. _


	2. Chapter 2

"He's going to fire me isn't he?" Tony asked Abby. The two of them were sitting next to each other in a private waiting room the hospital had set up. Ducky and McGee were speaking quietly to a nurse in the corner. Gibbs was outside the room on the phone with Vance. Tony had taken his wedding ring out of his pocket and was turning it over in his hands.

"Of course he isn't going to fire you," Abby replied. "You're like a son to him Tony."

Tony chuckled humorlessly. "A son who lied, broke a rule, and shoved him into a wall. Yeah, that's gonna go well." He leaned over, head between his knees. "I can't lose her Abbs," he whispered.

Abby wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "You're not gonna lose her."

"You heard the doctor," Tony argued. The whole group had been updated on Ziva's condition a few minutes before. "50/50 chance."

"That's for regular people," Abby said firmly. "Ziva's like, the strongest person I know. There's no way she's going to let that jackass John Hanson win."

"We just..." Tony's voice hitched. "We haven't had enough time you know?"

Abby didn't know what to say to that, so she rested her head against Tony's back and just held him tighter.

From just inside in the doorway, Gibbs watched the scene play out. He had just hung up with Vance, informing the director that another team needed to be assigned the Hanson case. Now he watched his lab technician try to hold his senior field agent together. While they all waited for Ziva to come out of surgery.

Gibbs had been unable to respond to Tony's declaration of his new marital status. After the whispered confession, a nurse had arrived to bring them all to the waiting room and as soon as they had gotten an update on Ziva's condition, Vance had called.

Now, Gibbs wasn't sure how to feel. He was angry, he was scared, and he was (though he'd probably never admit it) jealous. His agents had figured it out, they'd had the courage to do what he and Jen had never been able to. They had chosen each other.

On the other hand, Gibbs couldn't let go of the anger he felt. His agents had lied to him and broken one of his rules. _You don't know they actually dated._ A voice in his head that sounded suspiciously like Jen's said._ They could have just run off and gotten married. You don't have a rule against that._ "Semantics," he muttered to himself.

"What was that Jethro?" Ducky asked, coming to stand next to Gibbs.

"Nothing Duck," Gibbs replied. The two men watched McGee walk over to Abby and Tony and sit down on Tony's unoccupied side.

"Hey there Magoo," Tony said weakly, trying to force a sincere smile. "That's a good look for you." He was referring to the blue scrubs McGee had managed to scrounge up. "You should think about becoming a male nurse. I here they get all the girls."

McGee smirked and then noticed that Tony was still fidgeting with his wedding ring. "So," McGee said, "wanna tell us how this happened?"

"How what happened?" Tony asked, his brain still not exactly functioning at full capacity.

Abby stilled Tony's hands and slid the wedding band onto his ring finger. "How that happened."

"When did you propose?" McGee asked.

"I didn't."

"So…she asked you?" McGee prompted.

This time Tony's smile was completely unforced. "Not exactly…"

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_Flashback_  
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Dearing had been dead for twelve hours. Gibbs had called the whole team and announced that they all had the next week off. He didn't want to hear about any of them going anywhere near the Navy yard.

Tony sat in his living room, a movie playing in the background. James Bond, though he wasn't paying attention enough to know which one. He was waiting. Every night since the bombing, every night since the elevator, Ziva had appeared at his door. The hours spent trapped in that metal box had reawakened fears and memories that she thought she'd long since buried. Memories of the desert, memories of small hot rooms where there could never be any real safety.

So each night she knocked on his door. Each night they would sit and watch movies together on the couch until they were both too tired to keep their eyes open anymore. Some nights they would simply crash on the couch, waking the next day to sore necks but at least feeling slightly rested. Some nights they'd stumble to Tony's bedroom and fall asleep side by side in his bed. Close, but never actually touching.

He never questioned why she was there. Never demanded an explanation, or pushed for more contact. He had nightmares too when she wasn't there. Dreams of boarding school where classmates liked to lock him in dark closets for a joke. Of shipping containers that were running out of air. Of the crushing weight of Gibbs' announcement that there were no survivors from the Damocles.

This night was different though. Dearing was dead. So Tony sat on the couch wondering if she would come. Wondering if this strange comfort they found was over now. Wondering if the real world was about to encroach on their peace.

When the knock finally came, the soft, firm knock he associated with his ninja partner, Tony leapt from the couch to open the door. He made some stupid joke, imitating Sean Connery and gesturing to the couch. But unlike the other nights, Ziva hesitated and then shook her head.

"Oh," Tony said. "I just figured since you were here…" he trailed off.

Ziva smiled and reached for his hand. She dragged him towards his bedroom and then rummaged around in his closet. Tony stood in the center of the room, his face a mix of confusion and interest. "Ziva?"

"Where is your suitcase Tony?"

Tony frowned but stepped behind her to pull his duffel down from the top shelf of his closet. "Am I going somewhere?" he asked.

"We are," Ziva answered.

"Okaaaay," Tony said. "Can I ask where?"

Ziva pulled a suit from his closet and folded it into the double, a glare stopped Tony's protests that it would crinkle. Then she moved to his dresser and pulled out several days' worth of shorts, shirts, socks, and underwear. Again, Tony's move to stop her was halted with a look. Once his suitcase was packed, Ziva placed it on the bed and turned to look at him. Tony's brow was furrowed but his eyes were sparkling with barely contained laughter. "You want to tell me what's going on?" he asked.

Ziva took a breath and stepped into his personal space. "Do you love me Tony?"

Tony's eyes widened but Ziva held his gaze. There was no way for him to joke his way out of this situation. There was no way to twist her words into an innocent statement. After a moment he swallowed, trying to moisten his suddenly dry mouth. "Yes," he replied. "I think you know I do."

Ziva nodded and placed her hand over his heart. "I am tired of pretending," she said quietly.

Tony raised his hand and let his knuckles brush against her cheek. Ziva nuzzled against his hand and Tony knew he was lost. "So am I," he replied.

"Then let us stop."

"What about work?" Tony asked. "Rule 12?"

Ziva smirked and reached into her pocket. She handed him a printed boarding pass. Tony read the destination and looked up, shock and hope in his eyes. "Vegas?" he said. "Are you sure?"

Ziva shrugged a little shyly. "There is no rule that says you cannot marry a co-worker."

With that, Tony wrapped his arms around her waist and spun her around. Ziva laughed and eventually hit his arm. "Tony we have to go. The flight leaves in two hours."

Tony placed her back on her feet and pulled away slightly. "I love you Zi," he said. There was really nothing else he could say.

Ziva reached up and kissed him lightly. "And I love you Tony."

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_end flashback_  
_tbc _

_thanks for all the great review. the next chapter will be up soon!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Two chapters in one day! I'm on a roll! This is probably the second to last chapter. _

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Tony was pulled out of the memory when he realized he hadn't elaborated on his answer to McGee's question. "She kinda…told me. We had both been having nightmares after…after the elevator and she'd been coming to my place to watch movies at night, instead of sleeping. Then after Dearing died, she showed up at my place with tickets to Vegas. We got married that night and spent a week there."

"That was six months ago," McGee said. Abby gave him a look that clearly meant, thank you captain obvious.

Abby laced her fingers with Tony's. "Why didn't you tell us."

"I'd like an answer to that too."

Tony, McGee, and Abby looked up at Gibbs' words. He and Ducky came over and sat down across from them. Tony met Gibbs' eyes with a mixture of regret and defiance. "A few reasons," he replied.

"Such as…" Gibbs said.

Tony sighed. "Ziva isn't sure how her father is going to react. Eli's not exactly my biggest fan. She thought it would be safer."

"Ah," said Ducky. "Yes, I have often noticed that fathers are not always terribly pleased to find out that their children have eloped." He gave Gibbs a sideways glance that clearly meant he was talking about more than just Eli David.

Gibbs ignored the implications of Ducky's comment and focused on Tony. "Why else, DiNozzo?"

Tony held his boss's gaze. He refused to feel ashamed at his actions. "After everything that happened with Dearing. After everything that's happened to us over the last few years. We didn't want to break up the team. We didn't want to break up our family."

And there it was. The real reason they had kept their marriage a secret. They were afraid of what Gibbs would say. They were afraid that he would fire one or both of them, or at the least that one of them would be reassigned. Gibbs felt his chest tighten. The lack of faith they had in him. They didn't think he would defend them to Vance. Worse, they actually believed that he would have been angry at their happiness. All he was, was angry at himself. What kind of leader, what kind of father was he?

He thought back to the summer. He had been so bent on making Dearing pay he hadn't even noticed that two of his agents were hurting. After Dearing was dead, he had been so focused on Abby that he had completely missed the change in Tony and Ziva's relationship. Now, as he thought back, he realized things. Things he had seen even when he wasn't paying attention. Tony and Ziva standing a little closer together than usual. Tony only hitting on women who were obviously unavailable, and Ziva never seeming to get jealous.

It had all been there, right under his nose. He hadn't seen it because they hadn't wanted him to see it. And he had been too preoccupied to dig deeper. Gibbs knew he should say something, but at that moment a surgeon walked into the room.

"Ziva David?"

All five team members stood, Tony quickly moving to the front. "How's my wife?" he asked.

The surgeon frowned slightly, "I'm sorry I was told it was just her co-workers here."

"She's my partner," Tony replied, his patience wearing thin, "and my wife. Now tell me how she is."

The surgeon nodded. "She's out of surgery. We were able to repair her liver but she sustained a lot of blood loss and internal trauma. For now we're going to monitor her vitals and hope that she wakes up in the next 24 hours."

"And if she doesn't?" Tony asked.

Ducky's hand came to rest on Tony's shoulder. "Things get more complicated after 24 hours," the doctor explained. "But let's wait to see if it comes to that."

The surgeon nodded at Ducky in thanks and then told Tony which room Ziva had been brought to. She was only allowed one visitor at a time. As the doctor moved to walk out of the room Tony stopped him. "Doctor?"

"Yes."

Tony held out his hand and the surgeon took it. "Thank you. Thank you for saving her."

The surgeon shook Tony's hand. "You can thank me when she's out of the woods." With that he left and Tony turned to the rest of the group.

"You should all go home," he said. "No point in us all losing sleep. And we can't all be in the room anyway."

Abby and McGee nodded reluctantly and made their way out the door, Abby stopped to wrap Tony in a fierce but brief hug. McGee caught Tony's eye and the two men nodded at each other.

"Anthony," Ducky said, placing a hand on the younger man's arm. "The fact that she was out of surgery in under four hours is a good sign. Make sure you let her know you're there. She'll come back to you, I don't doubt it."

Tony's eyes burned with tears and he didn't trust himself to speak. So he just patted Ducky's hand where it rest on his own arm. Ducky smiled and left the room. Tony turned to face Gibbs, only to see that his boss had snuck out when Ducky was speaking. Under normal circumstances, he would have been crushed at the anger he perceived coming from Gibbs. But right now, nothing was more important than getting to Ziva so he took a breath and headed in the direction of room 341.

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_tbc_

_I promise that Gibbs will be redeemed. I love Gibbs, but his functional mutism can make him hard to read sometimes right? J Please please please review!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Last chapter, thanks so much for sticking with it!_

Tony walked into the hospital room and was immediately calmed by the steady beat of the heart monitor. His ninja's heart was strong and he had to have faith that it would keeping ticking. He pulled a chair close to the side of the bed and took Ziva's right hand in his, her left hand was hooked to wires and IVs. She had a breathing tube and Tony winced slightly, he knew she hated breathing tubes. For what seemed like hours he just stared at her. Watching her chest rise and fall, feeling her steady pulse beneath his fingers on her wrist.

Then he remembered Ducky's advice and cleared his throat. "Hey Zi," he said lamely. "I'm here." There was a long pause, the beeping of the machines the only sound in the room. "You know ever since McGee called to tell me what happened, I can't stop thinking about last weekend when you made me sit through The Sound of Music. Which, by the way, is still a ridiculous excuse for a favorite movie."

Tony stared intently at Ziva's face, hoping that his mocking the film she loved so much might entice her to wake up. Her eyes remained closed.

"Anyway," Tony continued, "I keep thinking about that scene in the gazebo, where Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer finally get together." He stopped speaking again and for a few moments just sat there, gently tracing the lines on her palm with his fingertips. His chest was tight and his throat hoarse.

"I know I haven't always done the right thing in my life," he said. "I know that, there is absolutely no reason why you should love me. And the fact that you do…means I must have done something good."

From the doorway, hidden in the shadows, Gibbs listened to Tony's words. He had never heard his senior agent speak so honestly, never heard such raw emotion.

"But here's the thing Ninja," Tony continued. "I need you to wake up now. Cause I think we all know that I don't do too well when you're not there to keep me in line. Look, you promised me when we got married that you'd spend the rest of your life with me and I'm not ready for the rest of your life to be over now. So you have to wake up." He leaned forward and kissed her knuckles. "Please Ziva, please wake up."

"She will, DiNozzo," Gibbs said, walking into the room at last.

Tony looked up, quickly wiping away any evidence of tears on his face. "Hey Boss," he said. "Didn't realize you were still here."

Gibbs pulled a chair over to sit beside Tony.

"I thought they said only one of us was allowed in here," Tony said.

Gibbs shrugged. "Nurse likes me."

Tony nodded. "Still, you don't have to stay. She might not wake up for a while."

"Not going anywhere DiNozzo."

Tony sighed and ran a hand over his face in exasperation. "Look, do you think we could do the whole headslap over rule breaking and then eventual reassignment or firing later? Like maybe when my wife isn't lying in a hospital bed? Cause I really don't think I have the energy right now."

At this, Gibbs turned and looked Tony in the eye. "Do you really think that's why I'm here? Do you really think so little of me Tony?"

Tony was taken aback at the use of his first name. "No Boss," he said. "Of course not."

"I would have stood up with you Tony," Gibbs continued. "I would have walked her down the aisle." He put a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "And if you think that there's any way I'm going to let Vance or anyone else break up my team, you're dumber than I thought you were."

It took Tony a few minutes to fully absorb the words. He knew this was Gibbs' way of apologizing without breaking Rule 6. "Thanks," was all he could think to say.

Gibbs took a sip of his ever-present coffee and nodded. Several minutes passed in comfortable silence. "You know," Gibbs said eventually, "when she wakes up there's no way you're gonna be able to escape some sort of Abby wedding party."

Tony laughed, his first real laugh since hearing McGee's voice on the phone that afternoon. "Yeah, I'm aware."

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Hours passed. The sun rose outside Ziva's hospital window. Tony and Gibbs sat side by side in uncomfortable chairs. Every so often Tony would speak to Ziva, recounting a case or a movie they had watched together. For his part, Gibbs stayed quiet, only interjecting when Tony couldn't remember a specific detail. He left for coffee several times and brought snacks for Tony throughout the night.

"So for some reason this corporal thinks that a koala is the perfect solution to the low moral on the sub." Tony was holding Ziva's hand, telling her about the strange cases they had investigated the summer she had been captured. "So Corporal Genius finds some back-alley dealer in Sydney and then sneaks the think onto the ship in his backpack. Of course, it's hard to get enough koala-friendly food on a submarine these days so his plan was eventually thwarted when he requisitioned some bamboo shoots. Idiot got koalas and panda bears confused."

Tony and Gibbs were both laughing at this point and Tony almost missed the small squeeze of Ziva's hand. When it happened a second time his eyebrows shot up and he stood up from his chair. "Zi? Can you hear me?"

Ziva's eyes fluttered open and Gibbs ran out to get a nurse. Tony reached down and brushed her hair away from her face. "Hey there beautiful," he said. When she started coughing slightly he leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Please don't fight the tube," he whispered against her brow. Ziva immediately calmed at his voice and his touch.

There was a frantic commotion of activity. Nurses came into the room and immediately began taking readings and speaking to Ziva, explaining what was going on and that they were going to take the tube out of her throat. Tony stood to the side with Gibbs, making sure he stayed in her line of vision.

After a while, the activity died down. Ziva had convinced the nurses to angle her bed up slightly and the surgeon was in the room explaining the care she would need over the next few weeks. Tony took mental notes and saw that Gibbs was doing the same. Finally, the surgeon left and it was just the three of them in the room again.

Ziva looked at her boss, "Hello Gibbs," she rasped, her throat raw from the breathing tube and from disuse.

Gibbs came over to the bed and gently kissed her forehead. "Gave us a scare Ziver. 'Specially that husband of yours."

Ziva's eyes widened and she looked at Tony. His nod confirmed that their secret was out. "I am sorry we did not tell you," she said.

Gibbs shook his head. "Keep it out of the office and I'm happy for you."

Ziva blinked up at him. "Still…a team?" she asked, the exhaustion making it difficult to form complete sentences.

Gibbs cupped the side of her face with his hand, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Always," he promised.

With that, Ziva nodded and several tears rolled down her cheeks.

Gibbs patted her cheek gently and then turned to Tony. "Take care of her," he said in no uncertain terms.

Tony smirked. "Always," he repeated.

Gibbs shook his head, but he was smiling. The old Tony was back, but he was different now, more grown up. And Gibbs had a feeling that they would all be better for it.

**The End**

_Thanks for all the wonderful feedback. Please review this last chapter. Hope you enjoyed the story._


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